Trunk compartment shades currently in use to conceal luggage or packages, particularly in hatchback models where large window visibility into the compartment is otherwise available, normally incorporate windup springs which tighten during extraction and require some prewind at the retraction limit of the shade. Mounting brackets may be attached to the seatback adjacent the luggage compartment or to side panels of the vehicle which in either case involve some tolerance variation in the distance between brackets. This may result in looseness and rattling of the shade in the absence of some provision to take up clearance incident to spacing variations. Auxiliary compression springs in the mounting hardware are known in the art for overcoming this problem.
Provision for removal of the shade without loss of prewind is another practical requirement which has been solved in a prior art construction through use of a spring loaded end cap which had to be compressed for installation and upon removal would extend axially with inner engagement of elements preventing loss of prewind when removed from the mounting brackets. Such solution is subject to accidental compression of the end cap, as by standing the shade on end, which could lead to loss of prewind.
The closest prior art patents of which applicants and their attorney are aware include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,301, Nov. 28, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,231, Feb. 13, 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,367, Sept. 2, 1980; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,601, Sept. 16, 1980.